London Mayor pledges Olympic cash

London Mayor Boris Johnson has promised "tens of millions of pounds" to create a true Olympic legacy in 2012. The money will be spent on coaching young people when the Olympics arrives in London in four years' time, he said. The Mayor said there would be increased success for Team Great Britain - which notched up 19 gold medals in Beijing - if young Londoners were inspired to take up a sport and dedicate themselves to it. Mr Johnson added: "We are totally dedicated to it. I want to ring-fence London Development Agency money for sport and that means not just investing in facilities but also investing in the mentoring and the tuition that are so important for long-term success. "You can have the facilities but if you don't invest in the people to train and give people encouragement, it's not going to work. Sporting opportunity can be part of an early intervention strategy that tackles child poverty and under-achievement." Meanwhile, Mayor of Mansfield Tony Eggington has promised super swimmer Rebecca Adlington, who won golds in the 400m and 800m freestyle, the freedom of her home town, Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire.

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ITN | August 26, 2008

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